3 April 2009
Tomorrow’s Towner opening has been hailed an important milestone for England.
Arts Council England Director for Arts in the southeast Sally Abbott has welcomed the state-of-the-art gallery’s launch, saying it leads the way in bringing art to everyone. Arts Council England has contributed more than £2million towards the new building.
Sally Abbott said: “It’s so exciting to see the new-look Towner opening. It’s a fantastic building that commands real respect in its location and offers a flexibility that will make more of its collection available to visitors than ever before. It’s an important milestone in arts development for Eastbourne, the Southeast and for England as a whole and gets us a step closer to realising our mission of great art for everyone.”
Eastbourne Borough Council leader Councillor David Tutt joined them in their praise. He said: “I believe the wide range of art that will be exhibited at Towner will provide something for all tastes and ages. The fact entry is free will ensure that visitors will feel able to return frequently and enjoy this fantastic cultural addition to our town.”
The Worshipful The Mayor of Eastbourne Councillor Greg Szanto officially opens the bespoke gallery at 10am on Saturday April 4. The first 100 visitors will be given a limited edition Towner T-shirt.
The inaugural exhibitions highlight the new gallery’s ability to attract high-calibre artists while also proving its dedication to local people. Chilean artist Iván Navarro has created eleven pieces especially for his display in the second floor gallery. The results of the Towner Collection interactive People’s Choice vote will show the public’s favourites in the first floor gallery, and the ground floor exhibition halls show education project Collection Connections and outreach work in Lost Horizons.
Cllr Tutt said: “Towner has been designed with people in mind and now it’s over to Eastbourne’s residents and visitors to come in and be part of this gallery as it achieves its potential.”
Designed by award-winning Rick Mather Architects, Towner is progressive in style, technology and focus. Its new location in the heart of the cultural quarter, next to the Grade II* Listed Congress Theatre and the world class tennis courts at Devonshire Park, is complemented by its continuing outreach work, making sure every inspirational creative activity held by Towner is accessible.
In keeping the name of the man who funded its beginnings in 1923 and his vision for a gallery for Eastbourne and its visitors, Towner will challenge all to interact with the building as a community space, thought-provoking learning environment, and a progressive art gallery. Learning, community and meeting spaces throughout have been created with input from schools and groups, establishing interaction from the planning stage.
Towner’s impressive 2,300m² space includes temporary exhibition galleries of international standard; fully accessible Towner Collection display, storage and research facilities; a suite of rooms for workshops, events and meetings; large-scale exhibition halls, to be used for both conference and art exhibitions; a top floor café and terrace with views of the South Downs, and a well stocked shop. Free entry and a café open to all will make it a great place to meet and mingle.
The project was funded by The Arts Council's capital programme, The Heritage Lottery Fund, South East England Development Agency, New Towner Trust and Eastbourne Borough Council.
